Indigenous employment and engagement internships

PACE at Macquarie University offered an Indigenous Employment & Engagement stream to students studying FOBE200. Hear from our students about their experiences in an Indigenous internship placement. Watch the video story.

"Students went out and worked in companies that had an indigenous employment strategy, or worked with indigenous people... The participation they undertake throws them into a company as if they were an intern. They sample lots of things, and they work on a project, so they are actually working for the company to produce something."

Arnel Yutuc

"We ran wrap-around services, where we'd go out and provide public services to people in one spot, so they could all come together and access the services all on the same day."

"We developed new strategies to get the people to attend these wrap-around services more, because previously, even though these services are brought out to them, people wouldn't really know about it, or there wouldn't be that trust or other issues so they wouldn't attend."

"Actually being in the workplace and being in the field is much more than a textbook or classroom can teach you, because we are there using what we have learned into practice."

"This PACE unit probably contributed the most to my personal development in terms of human interaction, dealing with everyone on a daily basis: customers; managers; everyone on different levels. Being able to deal with and interact with all of these people definitely helped my personal development."

"I would definitely recommend other students to enrol in a PACE unit. It's something you just can't really learn from books. It's not theory, it's something you're put into. You have to work with other people, understand other people; that human dynamic. The practical application is just something else you can't really be taught; you have to experience it for yourself."

Jay Palese

"My time here at Qantas has been diverse and different every single time I come here, because it has been made up as we've gone along, its been developed, and new opportunities come up."

"Even before coming to Qantas, I always wanted to get that hands-on experience; to get into a company and see where your studies apply to, the practical use of your studies; to see the cultural environment of an organisation."

"Coming to Qantas really helped me to identify the sort of company that I see myself working for."

"I really struggled with trying to see where all your university studies can lead you towards, because you put in your study, put in your hours, stay up late, and you really don't know what pathway it could lead you towards. That's why I really wanted to engage with a company, and Qantas happened to be that company. They really opened my eyes up to the sort of people that you'd like to work for, the sort of environment you'd like to work for."

"I recommend it to any student who is struggling to see where their university degree can take them. It can be demotivating sometimes trying to keep moving forward and put in the hours of study, but one thing I strongly suggest is to keep going and try to get yourself into a placement such as what PACE offers. You will see that the hard work, in the end, does pay off."